In apartments and cottages, on the street and in the train... I listen... More and more, I turn into one large ear, always turning to another person.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
Flaubert called himself a human pen; I would say that I am a human ear. When I walk down the street and catch words, phrases, and exclamations, I always think - how many novels disappear without a trace! Disappear into darkness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the role of the observer in art and literature, emphasizing the importance of capturing fleeting moments and expressions.
Svetlana Alexievich likens her role as a writer to that of a listener, contrasting with Flaubert's view of himself as a creator. She suggests that many voices and stories go unnoticed and unrecorded, highlighting the ephemeral nature of human expression and the responsibility of writers to preserve these narratives in their works.
Themes
WritingListeningStoriesHuman ExpressionArt
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about the importance of oral history, this quote can illustrate how many untold stories exist around us.
More from Svetlana Alexievich
All quotes →The subjects I wanted to write about - the mystery of the human soul, evil - didn't interest newspapers, and news reporting bored me.
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'Women's' war has its own colors, its own smells, its own lighting, and its own range of feelings. There are no heroes and incredible feats; there are simply people who are busy doing inhumanly human things.
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There is no need to give in to the compromise that totalitarian regimes always count on.
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I've been searching for a genre that would be most adequate to my vision of the world to convey how my ear hears and my eyes see life. I tried this and that, and finally, I chose a genre where human voices speak for themselves. But I don't just record a dry history of events and facts; I'm writing a history of human feelings.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
From the point of view of art, the butcher and the victim are equal as people. You need to see the people.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
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